Published Nominations for the nine elected positions on the 2019-2021 Executive Committee (ExCom) of Democrats Abroad Switzerland, and for the three elected DPCA Voting Representative positions, closed on Sunday March 3. Listed below are the nominated candidates. All offices will be elected on Sunday April 7 at the DA Switzerland Annual General Meeting. At that meeting, additional nominations will be allowed from the floor. All candidates will be given time for a brief statement to the members.

Candidates below are listed according to office, in the same order the offices will be elected at the AGM. Within each office, candidates appear alphabetically by last name, showing their city of residence and their statements. In the interest of readability, we display here only the candidates' names. Click the office title to see their full statements on the pages that follow.

Voting Method

Americans who are DA members as of Friday April 5th may vote. Please register at the online form here to indicate your attendance at the AGM. You may vote in one of the following ways:

In-person voting: Printed ballots will be distributed at the meeting.

If you cannot participate in person, a second possibility is available:

Vote by proxy: Request a proxy form from elections@democrats.ch. Send a copy of your completed and signed proxy form to us by April 5th, and give it to your chosen attending proxy member before the AGM. Any voter at the meeting may hold at most two proxies.

Election Process

At the meeting, the twelve offices will be elected one by one, in the order shown above. Nominations for office may be made from the floor, as write-in candidates. This includes listed candidates who did not win their announced race. All candidates will be given two minutes to address the members. Voting by advance ballot will not be available.

This election process aligns with that used at DA international meetings. Voters will be able to meet and hear the candidates in person, before choosing.

STATEMENT: Perhaps like some of you, I withdrew from activism after the last presidential election - for me the only thing it motivated was my flight to the stability of Switzerland. But after starting to volunteer with Democrats Abroad, I learned that even from over here, we can help make things safe at home again. We may have already been the margin of victory for some elections, and with millions of us abroad, we certainly have the potential to tip more elections.

As a former DNC delegate for Bernie, staffer for Barack, staffer for ACORN, and platform editor for the California Democratic Party, I'm proud to have been part of the broader effort to push our political system to vigorously defend our fundamental principles of protecting the dignity of all people, no matter their backgrounds. I would be honored to advocate for this unabashed progressive fundamentalism on behalf of Democrats living in Switzerland as we ramp up for impeachment and 2020 - especially by motivating those who didn't vote in the last presidential election to vote. Thanks for all your ongoing work to restore our American values from here!

Vance A. White (Buus - Basel region)

BIO: I grew up in a suburb of Denver. I recently celebrated my 62nd birthday (and the memory of my mother working on the JFK election in 1960!). I have had the honor of being married to my French husband since September, 2015.

I have a B.S.in Accounting, I worked from 2006-2017 as the Site Director/General Manager of a pharmaceutical firm near Basel. As a result of this experience, I have the ability to have a complete overview of all functions of a business (Production, Quality, Engineering, Health & Safety, HR, Finance, IT, Logistics & Distribution, Sales & Customer Service). This has allowed me to focus on the needs of both the clients and the employees. Previously, I worked in Auditing/Financial Management for oil companies (Colorado and California) and Financial/IT management in pharmaceutical companies (Puerto Rico for 15 years).

I am fluent in Spanish, decent in Deutsch, and I am a good listener for French speakers.

I love the exposure to new cultures which travel provides. My extensive international travel and 28 years of living outside of the continental USA has heightened my sensitivity to making sure that I properly represent the USA as a mix of many cultures and nationalities and I focus on making sure to not expect that other countries adapt to the “American way”.

My passion is food. I experience creative joy in the kitchen by cooking for others and I gain new gastronomic insights by sampling the cuisine offered by talented professionals.

STATEMENT: I am interested in the position of Vice-Chair for Democrats Abroad Switzerland. I have been in Switzerland since 2006 and I greatly admire the work that Democrats Abroad has been doing to help people to register for voting and to publish different deadlines for each state so that people can properly exercise the power of their voting rights.

I am committed to helping to make voting easier for Expats and to expand the overall voting percentage of Americans.

As an expat in Switzerland I am particularly interested in tax reform for Americans living abroad and I believe that helping fellow expats to know how to contact their Representatives and Senators is essential to having our voice and concerns heard at the federal level.

I believe that volunteer work is the bedrock of creating positive change in the world and that Democrats Abroad is a strong grass roots organization to help promote Democratic principles.

BIO: I’m a Washington State voter that grew up in Maine and has lived in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia and Texas. My husband and I have spent 3 to 5 months in places like China, Thailand, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and India, where I voted from in the last primary. I have been in Basel for almost 3 years, most of that heavily involved with Democrats Abroad.

My original degree is in Public Administration and in my 40’s I went back to school to become an RN. I worked in hospitals in Emergency, Telemetry, Critical Care and Neuro units in WA and TX. This background has honed my communication and prioritization skills. I spent many years coaching creative problem solving teams with children grades 3 through high school, which taught me much about teamwork. This was invaluable in my nursing career as well.

STATEMENT: I have spent the last 2 years as Chair in Basel. We are very proud in Basel of our creative team that has built a broad member base, registered many voters for mid-term and special elections and hosted a large number of varied events to enhance socio-political knowledge and foster a sense of community in our group and with our fellow members of Democrats Abroad.

My passion and strength is teamwork. I’d like to bring those skills to help all members in Switzerland work together for the benefit of all. There are so many strengths within our local memberships. I’d like to see skills, ideas, events and expertise shared so all chapters and members can duplicate them and benefit accordingly. Attending the Regional DA Meeting in 2018 made me realize there are many resources to use as a jumping off point.

My priorities are often directed by the team. Whether the task is to register voters, hold our primaries, encourage new memberships and chapters or help Americans gather for support and friendship, if we work together to accomplish those goals, we can do much.

I feel I have the time, skills and drive to help create a strong national team within which all chapters can be as successful. I look forward to it.

STATEMENT: Since joining the ExCom as replacement Secretary in May 2017, I have worked hard to assist the other members of the ExCom, as well as my local Basel chapter and members around the country. With my degree in Business Admin and minor in Management Information Systems, secretarial work plays to my skill set quite well. I manage the new members as well as oversee the annual membership verification process. I organize the Google Drive where we store our documents. I also take minutes at our ExCom, AGM, and supplementary meetings, distributing them afterwards.

In addition, I traveled to Spain for our EMEA regional meeting and Japan for the international AGM in 2018, both of which were educational, fun, and memorable trips.

I have started a local Swiss caucus focusing on voting rights, which will include working with the international Voting Rights Committee moving forward. I also served on the Compliance Committee and helped develop comprehensive compliance tools and materials to ensure that DACH is doing everything we can to follow rules and regulations regarding donations.

I believe that my (almost) two years on the current ExCom have been successful and I hope to build on that success in the next two years.

STATEMENT: I have been an active member of the Basel chapter of Democrats Abroad since I moved to Switzerland three years ago. I am committed to doing whatever I can to make sure that Americans abroad have a voice in the US political process.

I have an MBA from the Stern School of Business (NYU). I worked for two years as an auditor for Arthur Andersen, then worked for Bayer Pharmaceuticals for 12 years where I developed and analyzed budgets for the Marketing and Sales organizations. After I stopped working to raise my family, I was the treasurer for the PTA at my children’s school. I would be happy to serve as treasurer for Democrats Abroad, Switzerland.

BIO: I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota (a proud blue state girl!) and I have lived in Basel for the past 11 and half years.

STATEMENT: I was obviously very disheartened by what happened in 2016, as were many people, and I would like to actively play a part in helping to ensure that we can change the direction US politics have been moving in the upcoming 2020 elections. I would like to run for this position given my background and education in Journalism & Mass Communication. I have a BA in the field and I feel that my skill set would be complementary to this role. In my current full-time job I work on a lot of communication for business development within my firm, but I do miss some the core journalistic competencies that I studied years back.

Democrats Abroad Switzerland (DACH) will elect a new Executive Committee (ExCom) at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Zürich on Sunday April 7th. Now is the time to heed the call for candidates and get involved! We especially encourage those who have some previous experience at any level in DACH registering voters or helping out in some capacity to step forward. Volunteers should be committed to being task oriented team players. We are a grassroots organization with a small budget and no paid staff. We meet monthly via video conferencing, and work and organize between meetings using SLACK, an online team communications tool. Willingness to use this tool is necessary. If you enjoy working online, then a national position might be well suited to your skills!

Our primary mission is to use our various skills and enthusiasm to reach out and find Americans living in Switzerland and help them register to vote in upcoming US elections. There are many opportunities for activism and to work on political issues important to our members here in Switzerland and within our international organization (DA). Democrats Abroad has regular in-person meetings in Europe, Washington DC and other member countries that provide opportunities to train for the upcoming elections, to work together with other country committees on the DA platform, policies, and caucuses, and to hear stimulating political speakers. The ExCom guides the DA effort in Switzerland.

PLEASE CONSIDER RUNNING FOR AN OFFICE!

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS

The ExCom is the leadership of DACH and is made up of thirteen officers, of which nine will be elected at the AGM and four sit as ex-officio (Chapter Chairs and previous DACH Chair). Officers are elected for two-year terms and may serve two consecutive terms. Officers are members like you who volunteer their time and skills to represent and organize Democrats across Switzerland. The elected positions are listed below.

DPCA VOTING REPRESENTATIVES

In addition to electing the ExCom at the AGM, we will elect three voting representatives to the Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA). This is DA at the global level, which is part of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Each country committee, eg. Switzerland, sends reps to vote at DPCA global meetings. In 2019/20 DACH sends five, of which our Chair and Vice-Chair are two. The three others are elected from among the DACH membership. You may run both for an ExCom office and to be DPCA Voting Rep.

NOMINATIONS TIMELINE

To run for a position, inform any Nominating Committee member (contact info below) before the deadline of March 3rd. Include name, address, telephone number, email address, and a brief statement of intention to run. By March 13th we will distribute candidate names, short bios and voting procedures to all members by email.

Elections will be held during the 2019 AGM on Sunday April 7th, from 12 to 5, Strassburgstrasse 11, 8004 Zurich. At the meeting, additional nominations for all offices will be allowed from the floor. Be sure to attend the meeting and vote for your new ExCom!

FIND OUT MORE AT ON-LINE INFO SESSIONS

The Nominations and Elections Committee will hold two on-line information sessions for members who’d like to know more. We’ll describe what’s involved in serving on the ExCom, and answer any and all questions. Join a meeting and listen! We’re here to help. Sessions scheduled via WebEx for Wed February 13th at 8:30pm, and Sun February 17th at 7pm. Find meeting-attendance details and links at our Information Page.

OFFICER JOB DESCRIPTIONS & DUTIES

☆ Chair ☆

Chief executive officer of DACH

Organize and conduct meetings of the ExCom and the
membership, and set the agenda of such meetings

Establish all committees necessary for the proper
functioning of the organization

Ensure that Secretary and Treasurer core work is being
done

Represent DACH in interviews with the press, or
delegate to spokespersons

Represent DACH at meetings of the DPCA (DA
International) and EMEA in person or online, in accordance with the DPCA
Charter, and report to the DACH ExCom on DPCA activities, issues, votes,
etc.

Ensure that Democratic Party, DPCA, DACH and FEC rules
are followed

Choose a fair and impartial head of the 'Nominations
and Elections Committee' to run DACH elections in odd numbered years

Raise funds for DACH activities and DPCA

☆ Vice-Chair ☆

Must not be the same gender as the Chair (as per DACH
and DPCA by-laws)

Partner with the Chair to take on some of their
responsibilities

Substitute for Chair when needed

Attend DACH ExCom meetings in person or online

Attend and vote at annual DPCA Global Meeting, in
person or online, or ensure another country leader carries your proxy

☆ Secretary ☆

Take and distribute minutes of ExCom meetings and
Annual General Meeting.

Maintain all files and administrative records of the
organization (Google Docs)

Responsible for country membership, either by
performing the duties of the database manager or by coordinating with the
database manager for these tasks.

Currently the secretary is also the database manager

Reporting to international secretary on administrative
issues as required

☆ Treasurer ☆

Manage the finances of DA Switzerland and its Chapters

Maintain clear and accurate financial records and make
financial reports as required on a timely basis

Establish annual DACH budget in coordination with the
ExCom

Ensure all financial matters conform to local rules and
regulations as well as those of the Federal Election Commission and
campaign finance laws of the United States

☆ Counsel ☆

Preferably a qualified lawyer with experience in
Switzerland

Consult with the ExCom and/or its officers on legal and
procedural questions relating to DACH and its activities. Consult with
International Counsel as necessary

Oversee and coordinate the business functions of the
chapter and report to national and international as required.

Coordinate with Chapter positions such as vice-chair,
secretary and treasurer. Appoint media contact, event organizer, GOTV
coordinator, Fundraiser, Young Dems chair, or any other position deemed
necessary

Direct the activities of DACH in their region of
Switzerland and keep local membership informed about activities and
events.

May recruit other DACH members to help with
communications tasks, forming a team if desired.

☆ Members-At-Large (3) ☆

We have three flexible member at large positions whose
duties have not been defined in advance. Some of our needs include
regional coordinators, fundraisers, project managers, event managers,
voter registration and phone-banking coordinators.

It’s not too late to make a difference. See below and act NOW! Thanks to ex-Ambassador to Switzerland and Democratic activists Suzi and Eric LeVine for much of this content:

Key Metrics:

Midterms – we know we can win because we have been
winning since Trump was elected:

Since Donald Trump was elected, Democrats have flipped
43 state legislative seats. In addition, Democrats have flipped one
governor’s seat by electing Phil Murphy, one House seat by electing Conor
Lamb, and one Senate seat by electing Doug Jones.

House of Representatives – it’s within our reach

Democrats need to flip 23 seats to win back the House
in November.

There are 25 districts that Hillary Clinton won that
are currently held by Republicans.

There are 119 Republican-held districts that are more
competitive than the district Conor Lamb won in March.

Republicans are defending 42 open or vacant seats, a
record since at least 1930.

Senate – this is going to be harder, but is still
possible to win or tie

There are 35 Senate seats up for election in 2018.

24 Democratic

9 Republican

2 Independent

Governors – this will be where we believe we will make
the most gains

There are 36 Governors races in 2018, including 26
currently held by Republicans.

Of the 36 Governorships, 25 of them will have veto or
approval power over the district lines in the 2021 redistricting process.

State Legislature - here, too, we have tremendous
opportunity

We are 17 seats away from flipping 8 chambers:

1 seat away from flipping key chambers: Colorado,
Maine, Minnesota and New York state Senates.

2 seats away from flipping the Wisconsin state
Senate.

3 seats away from flipping the Arizona and New
Hampshire state Senates.

5 seats away from flipping the Florida state Senate.

Approx. 322 State senate seats will be elected this
November that will have a role in redistricting in 2021.

Track your ballot:
Go HERE, select
your state, and click on Where Is My
Ballot for the tool to use.

Phone-bank: If you’ve phoned for DA and have your CallHub log-in,
don’t stop now! The Asia campaign still has 1000+ members to call.

Knock on doors if
you’re in the U.S.

Donate if you can’t knock on doors or phone-bank. Help Democrats Abroad's 2018 voter outreach campaigns which are having great success. Here are
the ones Eric and Suzi LeVine recommend as the most impactful and who are
distributing the funds really strategically for the short and long term:
The DNC,
the NDRC
and the DLCC to
get people elected from School Board to Oval Office and in every zip code
and to get our nation back to a representative democracy.

Vote as if your life depended on it!

As an overseas registered voter, you may think your vote doesn’t matter. But in less than two weeks, your vote and that of your family, friends and colleagues in the US, will matter very much.

Although the stakes in the mid-term elections are high for many issues that we care about, the stakes are highest for anyone who needs timely access to health care. And that means all of us at one time or another.

Your vote could spell the difference between life and death.

If you live in Europe, you have probably experienced health care as it should be – readily available, of relatively high quality, at a reasonable price. But if or when you return to the U.S., you will face health care costs that are twice as high as the next most expensive country – Switzerland (and we who live here can vouch for how expensive it is). Your vote for Democrats will help to slow the growth in health insurance costs!

If you are covered by a health insurance plan now, you probably don’t have to worry that you will be denied coverage because you have a chronic medical condition or had an illness like cancer that could re-occur. If or when you return to the U.S., Republicans have proposed changes in law that would allow health insurance companies to deny coverage for these so-called pre-existing conditions. Your vote for Democrats will protect access to insurance to everyone, regardless of their health status!

Plenty of your loved ones in the U.S. – your children, your parents, your close friends and relatives – depend on health care covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or federal exchange (“Obamacare”) insurance programs. In 2017, Republicans mounted a full-scale assault on Medicaid, which covers health care for almost 75 million low-income children and adults. For the Medicare program, which covers nearly 60 million people age 65 and older and adults with disabilities, Republicans in Congress just announced plans to make drastic cuts in benefits and charge more for premiums and out-of-pocket cost sharing. Your vote for Democrats will protect Medicare and Medicaid for 135 million people covered by one or both programs!

When you wake up on November 7, how will you feel when you see the Midterm election results? Will you feel that you did everything you could to influence the outcome, no matter what happens?

This is the moment to act! Everything we have been working for since the last election comes down to these next three weeks! We at Democrats Abroad Switzerland have been working tirelessly to register voters and to urge members to request and vote their ballots. And we need your help for this last push!

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The news of voter suppression attempts and presidential shenanigans and everything else we’ve heard since the inauguration may have left you burned out and discouraged, and we get it. It’s affected us, too! But ask yourself this question: How will I channel that frustration? Here’s what you can do:

Register and vote!

As of today, if you haven’t yet registered to vote, you still can if your last address in the US was in one of these states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming. Iowa and Massachusetts don’t require voter registration, so just request your ballot!

And if you haven’t yet requested your ballot and are registered in the following states, do it now: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. If you are registered in Washington, you are not required to request a ballot.

And if you have American friends, make sure they are registered and have requested their ballots, too!

The voter registration/ballot request tool is here: www.votefromabroad.org, including state-by-state specifics on registration and voting deadlines.

Get Out the Vote!

DA Switzerland still seeks volunteers for:

Phonebanking - Call DA members around the world to encourage them to vote, almost anywhere you are! No experience required, and it’s easy and quick to sign up! Go here, or for more information, contact Katie McClung: kmcclung0523@gmail.com or Anne-Shelton Aaron: anneshelton.geneva@gmail.com.

Remember, Democrats Abroad is 100 per cent volunteer driven, and all our endeavors depend on our membership to make them happen!

So how will you feel on November 7? No matter what happens, we want you to feel good! Join our team to work toward the Blue Wave!

Attention all Americans in Switzerland, or anywhere abroad: Friday June 15 is International Tax Filing
Deadline Day. (File your taxes!) It's also Democrats Abroad's Taxation Congressional CallStorm. On Friday, call your members of Congress and ask for their
support for Residency Based Taxation. If you're
Republican or independent, you should call too! The more of us call, the more impact we have. See our guide on just what to do, here. Downloadable campaign guide available there.

The new Geneva Chapter of Democrats Abroad Switzerland is getting organized! Two new chapters – Basel and Geneva - join Zurich (2009) in May. The Geneva organizational meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 24 from 6 to 8 PM.

We are looking for a person, or people, who wish to run for Chapter Chair for the May 2017 – May 2019 term. This position will be elected on May 24. Chairperson will be the only chapter elected office.

This will also be the chapter organizational meeting, when we get the chapter up and running and talk about other positions on the new committee, to be appointed by the Chair. The positions of Vice-chair, Secretary/Treasurer, and Events/Volunteer Coordinator have been proposed.

WHAT DOES THE CHAPTER CHAIR DO?

The role of the future Chair will be to see that the Geneva Chapter engages its members in the U.S. political process with events and political action. The goals are to build community among area Democrats, and to help Democrats win U.S. races at state and federal levels, by getting out the vote in the 2018 U.S. Midterm Elections. There is plenty of opportunity and demand for activism to promote the Democratic message and to counter the policies being put in place by the new Republican administration. The Chair also appoints others to join the Chapter committee, and has a seat on the country executive committee. See fuller description below.

Consider running! Any member of Democrats Abroad active in the Geneva region is eligible, and encouraged, to run for Chair, and to vote.

CANDIDATE STATEMENT, NOMINATING PROCESS

To run for Chair, please submit your name, address, telephone number and email address to the Nominating Committee, along with optional Statement of Intent (up to 200 words). A statement could present what you think qualifies you for the position of chair, and the priorities that you will focus your time and energy on over the next two years.

Please submit your nomination and statement by Wednesday, May 10. The list of candidates and their statements, along with election details and voting procedures, will be posted on the website and emailed to members soon after.

The Chapter organizational meeting and election will take place: 6-8pm, Wednesday May 24, at a member’s home near old-town Geneva. For details see our event post here.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

For further information about elections or the officer roles, please contact the Nominating Committee, or either member:

Make a donation here or sponsor one of our projects through our Give to Win program.

Every dollar you give supports our work to elect Democrats who will fight - AND FIGHT BACK - to make a better life for ALL Americans. Join us by making a donation today.

Julia Bryan, Chair - Democrats Abroad

We need Democrats like you to commit to Democrats Abroad - your Democratic Party for overseas Americans. Contribute to Democrats Abroad today and help us fight back against the Trump agenda, register Americans all over the world for upcoming elections, reach out on issues that concern you and build a brighter future for our country and the world. With your help, we can make the difference. We did it all over the country in 2018! And we are already working on 2020!

If you prefer to contribute via PayPal or if you want to make a RECURRING MONTHLY (VERY HELPFUL) donation, you may contribute to Democrats Abroad using ActBlue. Or if you are unable to contribute online, send us a US Dollar check with this form.

You are almost to Berlin! Please input your payment info and the names of any additional registrants you are paying for. If you have any questions please email International Treasurer, Art Schankler Treasurer@DemocratsAbroad.org .